To L̶o̶v̶e̶ , to Lust, to Spend


Weather it be lust, wealth, etc., one thing that men don't seek in a relationship is love. Men are willing to jump through hoops for women, but not for women's benefits, for their own. Men are selfish when it comes to relationships because everything they do is for themselves. In the play Taming of the Shrew, Pertruchio uses a woman named Katherine so that he can inherit her wealth. He bribes her father, and goes against her wishes so that he can marry her and take all of her money. In the movie SuperBad, a senior named Seth is determined to get sexual practice for when he goes to college. He meets a girl named Jules conveniently on the same day that his best friend gets a fake ID. Jules is having a party that night and needs alcohol for the party. Seth, sparking a plan to take advantage of Jules, heroically offers to supply the "boos" for Jule's party, not for her own enjoyment, but in hopes that he will get to have sex with her by the end of the night. Petruchio uses Katherine and Katherine's family for their wealth and has been looking for wealth everywhere, just like Seth has been looking for an opportunity to have sex with someone for a long time. Both of these characters strive to get what they want. Men are manipulative and strive to get what they want out of relationships even if it means hurting women's feelings or not respecting their feelings. The two men in these stories are a perfect example on how men don't have their priorities straight when it comes to relationships.


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This scene is with Jules, her friend, and Seth. This is a perfect example on how men would jump through hoops for women. However, they don't jump through hoops for love, they do it in hopes that they will be getting something out of it. In the case of the movie Superbad, Evan is using Jules. Seth wants so badly to be noticed by Jules and have his way with her in a sexual way, that he will do absolutely anything to make Jules like him. You can tell that Seth only wants Jules in a sexual way by the way he blatantly disrespects her in front of her peers. In the second picture, Jules and her friend are asking Seth to get them alcohol for their party. Seth, knowing that he is not the one with the fake ID, says yes to Jules even though he hasn't asked his friend, Faugle, if he would be willing to get the alcohol. All in all, Seth betrays his friendship and does a nice thing for Jules, not for her benefit, but for his own. Seth thinks that since he is doing something nice for her she will like him and repay him in a sexual act. This is different yet similar to Taming of the Shrew. It's similar because Petruchio is willing to marry Katherine for her money, weather she wants to marry him or not. Both of these characters don't care about the girls' feelings. Taming of the Shrew is different than Superbad because though he married her, he's never done anything truly nice for her, he's only manipulated her father into letting him marry her. Both of these different scenarios are about manipulation because Jules thinks that Seth is just doing something nice for her, when he really wants something sexual in return. In Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio makes Hortensio and Gremio "woo" Katherine so that she will end up liking Petruchio just so that he can get her money.


PETRUCHIO
And, for that dowry, I’ll assure her ofHer widowhood, be it that she survive me,In all my lands and leases whatsoever.Let specialties be therefore drawn between us,That covenants may be kept on either hand.


BAPTISTA
Ay, when the special thing is well obtained,That is, her love, for that is all in all.

(Act 2, Scene 1, Page 6, Lines 115-120)

In this line Petruchio is telling Katherine's father, Baptista that if he allows him to marry his daughter, he will inherit all of his land to Katherine after he dies. Now, Baptista falls into the trap of thinking that Petruchio is a nice guy and just wants the best for his daughter but he is wrong. What Petruchio really wants from Katherine is her money, he is willing to do and say anything to inherit Katherine's wealth. The selfish acts of Petruchio and Seth are so alike in both of these scenarios. Seth is willing to tell Jules anything for there to be a possibility for him to have sexual relations with her, the same as Petruchio is willing to tell Katherine's father anything to inherit Katherine's wealth and be a part of their family. Since he knows that Katherine is very wealthy, and Seth thinks that Jules is very good looking, they see these as perfect opportunities to take advantage and get what they want. In the case of Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio is going as far to marry Katherine when no one else will because of how evil she is. Whereas in Superbad Seth risks himself going to jail to jump through hoops and supply Jule's party with alcohol so that she will be so happy that she will give him whatever he wants.



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In this scene Seth runs over to his best friend Evan while he is at practice, after having the conversation with Jules about the alcohol for the party. In their conversation he says, "You know when you hear girls saying 'ahhhh I was so shit faced last night I shouldn't have fued that guy,' WE COULD BE THAT MISTAKE!" Just by this quote you can tell that he doesn't care about Jules' feelings what so ever. He also says how he wants to be sexually prepared for college so he can practice with Jules. He thinks that his whole plan with doing something nice for Jules will be paying off for his benefit. He barely knows her personality but doesn't care, all he knows is that she is good-looking and he thinks that she wants to have sex with him. When Evan and Seth tell their friend, who has a fake ID, about their plan to make him get the alcohol for them, he gets nervous and angry. He could go to jail for getting them alcohol but Seth doesn't care and makes him do it anyway, all for sex. Men in relationships are selfish and don't have relationships for love, they have it for lust, money, fun, etc. If a man wants something, he will do anything to get it, even if it means possibly getting their friend arrested for having a fake ID, or in Taming of the Shrew's case, having to deal with an evil wife until death do them part.

HORTENSIO
Petruchio, shall I then come roundly to theeAnd wish thee to a shrewd, ill-favored wife?Thou’dst thank me but a little for my counsel;And yet I’ll promise thee she shall be rich,And very rich. But thou'rt too much my friend,And I’ll not wish thee to her.


PETRUCHIO
Signior Hortensio, ’twixt such friends as weFew words suffice. And therefore, if thou knowOne rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife,As wealth is burden of my wooing dance,Be she as foul as was Florentius' love,As old as Sibyl and as curst and shrewdAs Socrates' Xanthippe, or a worse,She moves me not, or not removes at leastAffection’s edge in me, were she as roughAs are the swelling Adriatic seas.I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

(Act 1, Scene 2, Page 3; Lines 45-60)



In this dialog in Taming of the Shrew Petruchio first starts telling Hortensio that he wants a rich wife and that he's been going town to town searching for a wife who is wealthy. Petruchio is a perfect example of a man who abuses marriage and looks for different things in marriage than women do. He looks for money and wealth, not love. It is obvious that he is not looking for love in marriage because after Hortensio tells Petruchio about how evil and rude Katherine is, he replies saying that he doesn't care, as long as she is rich that's all that matters.**

Men tend to be selfish when it comes to relationships and only care about themselves and their needs. This is portrayed in the play Taming of the Shrew and the movie Superbad. These two different story lines are a lot alike, even though the men aren't seeking out the same things. In Taming of the Shrew a man named Petruchio is seeking out a wealthy woman, just like in the movie Superbad a senior named Seth is seeking out a partner to have sexual relations with because he isn't experienced for college. There stories are alike because both men manipulate and jump through hoops so that they will get what they want in the end. They don't care about the women's feelings, they are just out for themselves. Seth and Petruchio are both extremely selfish when it comes to relationships and women because they're willing to make their women happy, but only for something in return. In Seth's case the prize he thinks he is getting in return is sex. In Petruchio's case he thinks he is inheriting wealth in return. Both of these store lines prove that men are very selfish and self centered when it comes to relationships, they aren't looking for love they are just looking out for themselves.